Karen Klinger (née Carpenter; August 17, 1965) is a female rower from the United States.

In 1986, she was a member of the Varsity 8 crew that finished first at the Valley Championships.

[1] Klinger competed for the United States at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, where she was a member of the women's quad that won a gold medal.

[2] Klinger was the head coach of the Smith College crew team starting in 1997, but has since been succeeded by Clare Doyle in the year 2017.

She has led the Smith College crew team to 8 conference wins at the Seven Sisters Championships, and has brought the team to the NCAA Division III Rowing Championships in 1998, 2002, 2004–06, and 2009.